It’s a new year! And with it comes the opportunity to make some meaningful changes. Last year, we asked The Fervent Few what their New Year’s resolutions were—and now we’re bringing the question back for another round. Along with sharing their beer-related resolutions for 2020, members told us how they did on last year’s resolutions. (Mine was to drink down my cellar … and it did not go well. But I’ll try again in 2020.)

In terms of sticking to resolutions, Andrés Muñoz did way better than I did. “One of my 2019 resolutions was to drink down my cellar in communal settings, and share some of the beers I’ve collected with others. I made it through the whole cellar by the middle of summer. I was very happy to both free up the space and form new bonds through beer.”

Miles Liebtag made very straightforward resolutions—and crushed them. “My 2019 resolutions were to drink less, read more, and quit social media entirely. I accomplished all three.”

Lana Svitankova dreamed big, and achieved a number of lofty goals, including translating a book, amongst other impressive accomplishments. “My resolutions were to get BJCP Certified Beer Judge status (done), become a Certified Cicerone (done), translate one more beer book into Ukrainian (done), and make my beer experience more about quality, not quantity (I'm slowly moving forwards).”

Oh, and don’t mind Daniel Castro Chin. His goals were small—just trying to make his brewery profitable while getting his PhD and juggling a few other small feats. “What a year! I didn't set any particular resolutions at the start of the year but I had a few things I needed to accomplish: complete my PhD (check), pass the Certified Cicerone exam (check), get a good start on my professional career (check), develop a new recipe for my brewery (check), become debt free (check), and make the brewery financially break even (nope). I did not achieve that last goal, but I got pretty close.”

Rob Cartwright’s resolution was to be more organized with his beer drinking—and bed making. “My 2019 resolutions were to enter every beer consumed (and hopefully enjoyed) into Untappd—and to make the bed every morning. Result: two for two (mostly).”

Sometimes, resolutions are about trying new things, and that was especially true for Nick Yoder. “Last year I resolved to visit 55 breweries, including 45 that were new to me. I wanted to drink a beer from all 50 states. I also wanted to drink a beer from 50 different countries, but only made it to 20—a sad commentary on the availability of imports these days. Drink more cider? I've had two all year, further commentary on the difficulty of finding traditional ciders.”

As for this year, along with pledging to work through my barrel collection for a second year in a row, I’m going to learn how to make the best coffee possible and how to really taste whiskey. And who knows? I may take another stab at homebrewing.

Michael McAllister kicks off his 2020 New Year’s resolutions with some hopes for the beer community. “In the industry, I’d like to see the Brewer’s Association place less significance on independence and more on the communities its breweries foster and how they reflect the neighborhoods they reside within. I think this is what will give greater longevity to the 7,000+ breweries in the U.S. rather than whether or not they are independent. The new ‘We Welcome Everyone’ poster campaign from the BA is a good place to start.”

If you didn’t think she had enough going on in 2019, don’t worry—Lana Svitankova has some new goals for her brewery in 2020. “As part of a brewery team, what I really want is to stay relevant. I’d like to see us continue to pursue a consistent core range and new, exciting stuff, but without chasing trends at the same time.”

A lot of members have ambitions to obtain their Cicerone certification in 2020. Andrés Muñoz hopes that, along with obtaining the prestigious distinction, he can also just enjoy beers with friends casually. “In 2020, I want to drink alone less and drink with others more. Sharing beer and breaking bread is one of my favorite things to do, and I don't do it often enough. I've been lucky so far this year that my team at Untappd loves beer as much as I do, so we end up having bottle shares almost weekly. I want to grow that in 2020. I also want to be a Certified Cicerone before the end of 2020.”

Miles Liebtag is also in the Cicerone goal group. “In 2020, my resolutions vis-a-vis beer are: attain conversational fluency in German, continue to study German beer and history, and prepare, slowly but surely, to sit the Master Cicerone exam in 2021. Also to live outside the craft beer niche, except where it exists in my immediate community and butts up against my career.”

A Cicerone certification would look nice next to a PhD, wouldn’t it? As Daniel Castro Chin says, “My goals in 2020 are to study for the Advanced Cicerone exam, move back to Atlanta before the end of the year, run a marathon, try to get a promotion at work, send our beers to competition more frequently, and make a bigger marketing push next year—and try to make the brewery break even.”

If 2019 was about trying new things for Nick Yoder, 2020 is about recommitting to the breweries he loves—and getting his Cicerone. “I want to revisit my favorite breweries rather than striving to visit new ones. I've neglected ones I like in order to visit new places. After not homebrewing for a year, I want to brew at least six batches this year. Lastly, I want to take the Certified Beer Server test and get working on my Certified Cicerone.”

Michael McAllister wants to organize a beer festival and focus on health and balance. “In the second half of this year I started a weekly schedule of not drinking Monday through Thursday. With a baby at home it’s been pretty easy to maintain and not go overboard on the weekend. I want to keep up with that schedule and add two to three days of cardio workouts a week. Professionally, I want to embark on becoming a Certified Cicerone, implement beer education opportunities for my staff, and organize at least one beer festival.”

Sometimes, the simplest resolutions are best. Rob Cartwright just wants to hang out with the Fervent Few more. “I’d like to meet up with more of this great community IRL. The few times I’ve met up with members of this group in the past have been memorable encounters.”

How did you do on your 2019 resolutions? Do you have a resolution for 2020? Join The Fervent Few, and let’s kick the year off right!